Prior to administering treatment for cardiac arrest, the caregiver should make sure that the patient's airway is clear and unobstructed, to assure passage of air into the lungs. To prevent obstruction of the airway by the patient's tongue and epiglottis (e.g., as shown in FIG. 5), it is desirable that the patient be put in a position in which the neck is supported in an elevated position with the head tilted back and down. Positioning the patient in this manner is referred to in the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care as the “head tilt-chin lift maneuver.” The head tilt-chin lift position provides a relatively straight, open airway to the lungs through the mouth and trachea. However, it may be difficult to maintain the patient in this position during emergency treatment.
Resuscitation generally includes clearing the patient's airway, assisting the patient's breathing, performing chest compressions and defibrillation. Defibrillation can be performed using an automatic external defibrillator (AED). AEDs generally include a pair of electrodes connected to a resuscitation control box, which contains instrumentation for analyzing the patient's condition and providing a shock to the patient if appropriate.